Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pesto (Vegetarian)

This Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pesto is made with chickpeas and tomatoes. It’s vegetarian friendly, super delicious and cooks up quick in your pressure cooker.

Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pesto.

It’s just begging to be made.

Why is this soup so good? 

1. It’s super easy with no soaking. Just chop up some onion, carrots and celery, open a couple cans, and let the Instant Pot do its work while you prepare the pesto.
2. It’s healthy and warming. Loaded with fresh veggies and chickpeas for fiber and protein, this soup is perfect for the cooler months.
3. It’s packed with flavor. The bean soup is amazing on its own, but the dollop of pesto on top takes it over the top.

I would actually call this soup an Italian bean soup. Not only does the pesto give it that touch, but the addition of lots of tomatoes into the mix almost makes it like a minestrone, without the noodles.

Ingredients needed

• Canned Garbanzo Beans (aka chickpeas) – You can also use white beans, kidney bean, pinto beans or black beans.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes
• Onion & Garlic
• Carrots & Celery
• Vegetable Broth
• Parmesan
• Olive Oil
• Pine Nuts
• Basil
• Bay Leaves
• Salt & Pepper

How to make it

• Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, carrots and celery. Keep stirring and cook about 5 more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  
• Cover and seal the lid – turn the vent to sealing. Hit CANCEL then press the MANUAL (high pressure) button and set the timer to 5 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer. When timer beeps, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.
• While the soup is cooking, prepare the pesto. 
• Place the garlic and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds.
• Add the basil leaves. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. 
• When the soup is finished, remove the bay leaves.  Taste and season with pepper and more salt if needed.
• Serve in individual bowls topped with pesto.
• Enjoy!

Stove top directions

• To make this soup on the stove, simply saute the onion, garlic, carrots & celery in a large pot or dutch oven on the stove.
• Then, ad the tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, bay leaves and salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Simmer for 15 minutes while you prepare the pesto.
• Enjoy!

Variations

• Stir in some baby spinach leaves when the soup is finished to add even more nutrition.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to give your soup a zesty tang.
• If you have a leftover ham bone, you can add it to the instant pot before pressure cooking. It will add great flavor to your soup!

How to store & reheat

• You can store the leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s even better the next day! Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

What to serve with it

• This soup is hearty and filling all on its own, but you can serve it with a simple arugula salad and bread, cornbread or homemade crostini for a full meal. For MORE, check out these 30+ EASY sides for soup!

Wine pairings

• Rosé
• Pinot Grigio
• Italian Red Blend
• MORE → pesto wine pairings to try.

More Instant Pot soup recipes

• Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale
• Instant Pot Persian Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Weight Loss Soup
• Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Pho
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

Did you try this no soak instant pot bean soup?

If you loved this chickpea soup I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipe

This Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pesto is made with chickpeas and tomatoes. It’s vegetarian friendly, super delicious and cooks up quick in your pressure cooker. 

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Time for pressure to build and release: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Created by Platings and Pairings

1x2x3x

Ingredients

Soup:

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 1 stalk celery (chopped)
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 14-ounce can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pesto:

• 1 1/2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus additional if needed)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 Tablespoon pine nuts (toasted)

Instructions

Soup

• Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and celery. Keep stirring and cook about 5 more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Cover and seal the lid – turn the vent to sealing. Hit CANCEL then press the MANUAL (high pressure) button and set the timer to 5 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer. When timer beeps, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.
• While the soup is cooking, prepare the pesto. 

Pesto

• Place the garlic and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. 
• When the soup is finished, remove the bay leaves.  Taste and season with pepper and more salt if needed.
• Serve in individual bowls topped with pesto.

Notes

The pesto can be made in advance. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or the freezer for a month. 

Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1156mg | Potassium: 90mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 0.3mg

This recipe was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2019 to add a video and again in 2023 to add new photographs and content. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy!